This invention concerns new and useful chemical compounds. It concerns particularly peroxygen compounds which have utility in making available ethylenic polymerization products having both higher average molecular weight and unusually broad molecular weight distribution.
Compounds containing a peroxide group have long been used to initiate the polymerization of ethylenic monomers such as vinyl chloride and styrene. Monoperoxides such as benzoyl peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and salts of persulfuric acid have been commonly used for the purpose. Later, diperoxides such as di-tert-butylperoxy phthalate were used to obtain polymers of somewhat higher molecular weight.